1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a training device of golf swing and, more particularly, to a training device which is made in view of the fact that the golfer""s arms must move integrally with the golf club. It makes a shoulder swing and which holds the club and the golfer""s arms integral when a sequence of motions starting with a takeback and ending with a follow-through is performed, so that the golfer memorizes the feeling of the swing.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various proposals have been made to cause the moving club face to draw a linear trajectory along the direction of impact as described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,022,656, 5,074,565, 5,248,146, 5,342,055, 5,465,971, 5,520,392, 5,904,624, and 6,004,221. Also, a training device having two parallel guides forming a gap therebetween to cause the face of a golf club to move along the gap has been proposed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 177023/1993. Another training device disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 117376/1996 has an arm for holding a golf club, and this arm is mounted to a rotating machine installed in front of a golfer. During practice, the golfer is guided by the arm. A further training device disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 85375/1998 is equipped with an arm support installed ahead of a golfer. A swinging arm is pivoted to the arm support so as to be capable of moving back and forth. A putter is attached to the swinging arm.
Conventional training devices of this kind are large in size, and many of them are machine-oriented. That is, they do not permit natural movement of golfers or make it difficult for the moving club face to draw a linear trajectory.
Accordingly, the present inventor has discussed a simple training device which is designed while attaching importance to natural physical movement of a golfer and which assures a moving club face to draw a linear trajectory. In particular, the golfer wears the training device, which causes a sequence of motions starting with a takeback and ending with a follow-through to be performed such that the arms and shoulders of golfer move integrally with the club.
As a result of the above-described discussion, the present inventor has made a training device for golf swing equipped with an extensible restraining rod whose top end is attached to one arm of a golfer and whose bottom end is attached to a side of the head of a golf club. The extensible restraining rod can be stretched and compressed and thus the length can be adjusted. A holding belt for attachment to the arm is loosely mounted to the rod. The end of the rod that is attached to the club shaft is made of a flexible coupling.
Preferably, the means for loosely mounting the holding-belt attached to the golfer""s arm comprises a slot formed in the restraining rod near its top end and a metal fixture inserted in the slot. The holding-belt attached to the arm is mounted to the metal fixture. This means permits only rectilinear movement. The flexible coupling forming the end of the rod attached to the club shaft is preferably movable vertically and horizontally slightly.